Munich Travel Guide
You might know Munich as the home of Oktoberfest. Before our recent trip, we had only thought of Munich as a beer festival place but there is so much more to this charming place.
We have actually been to Munich twice and enjoyed it both times!
Some facts and figures:
Founded In: Settled by Monks in the 700s; officially founded in 1158; capital of Bavaria since 1255 (unified in 1506).
Language: German (Deutsch), plus a little English.
Suggested Length of Stay: 2 to 3 Full Days.
Overview and Brief History
As the capital of Bavaria, Munich today feels like the heart of Germany and is easily worth at least a 3-day visit. The pedestrian-only city centre of Munich has been rebuilt since the heavy bombing in WWII and still maintains all of its old world beauty.
The main square (Marienplatz) and New Town Halls are obvious highlights of Old Town Munich, but you will also find excellent museums, historic beer halls, two royal palaces, and three different churches with interiors to match almost any in Germany. Munich is friendly, fun, and as the home of Oktoberfest is one of the drinking capitals of the world. Beer halls, festivals, steins, pretzels, barmaids, and oompah music will all leave you with an experience you’ll remember forever.
Best time to visit
Summers in Munich tend to be fairly mild with temperatures in the mid-70s or 24 degree C — which is excellent for enjoying a few beers in the beer gardens. This is also the most popular time for tourists.
We went in August (2nd time) , it was warm and sunny allowing us to capture some great photos.
Spring is a great time to visit Munich because the weather is still nice but the tourist crowds are much smaller. The average high temp in April is in the upper 50s and in May it’s in the mid-60s.
Autumn weather in September and October is similar April and May with temperatures hovering between the mid-50s (14 degree c) and 60s. The leaves will be changing colour, giving you some great photos!
Winters are cold and sometimes snowy with temperatures dropping into the 30s (-1 degree c) or lower. Munich does attract a lot of people to its excellent, Christmas Markets so expect large crowds and high season prices during late November and December. Grab yourself a German sausage while you are there!
Getting around Berlin
Munich is one of the most walkable cities in Europe, but it also has a subway (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams, and buses. All public transportation operates on the same ticket, so it’s probably best to buy an unlimited day ticket (but singles tickets are available).
1 Day Metro Pass: If you pre-pay for tickets online you will need to bring the credit card you secured the ticket(s) with and a printed copy of the tickets themselves. If your ticket was for multiple people but you only get one ticket to refer to the line “ERK:” and the number after it is the number of passengers. Cost: 6.70€ or £5 / $8 for a Single Adult or 12.80€ or £10 / $16 for Partner which covers up to 5 adults
3 Day Metro Pass: Same befits as the 1 Day Pass but for 3 Days. Cost: 15€ or £12 / $17 for a Single Adult or 25.90€ or £24 / $28 for Partner which covers up to 5 adults traveling together. Kids 6-14 are considered half an Adult on a Partner Pass.
Airport-City Day Pass: Covers travel from/to the Airport plus 1 full day of City Center (Zone 1) Buses, Trams, and Subway lines. Is valid until 6am the day after purchase. Lines S1 & S8 go right to the Airport. Cost: 13.00€ / £11 / $14 for a Single adult or 24.30€ /£22 / $27 for Partner which covers up to 5 adults traveling together. This is a great deal as the standard train price for from the airport route is 7€ / £5 / $8 per person without the metro pass.
Munich XXL Pass (Dachau Ticket): Covers 1 full day of metro, bus, and tram travel in Zones 1 & 2 and well as round trip transport to the Dachau Concentration Camp located North of the city. Cost: 8.90€ / £7 / $10 for a Single Adult Ticket or 16.10€ / £14 / $18 for Partner Ticket which is good for up to 5 adults traveling together
Munich also has excellent transportation to most parts of Germany and much of the rest of Europe — especially via train. You can travel to Berlin in 4 hours on the train or 6 hours by car.
Things to see and do
MARIENPLATZ AND NEW TOWN HALL
The main square of Munich, Marienplatz has been the hub of the Old Town for over 900 years. While Marienplatz may not host a market these days, the square still buzzes, as it’s home to a busy U-Bahn station, is located near lots of shopping, and is the place many walking tours set off from. The Square is lined with historic sights, but the quirky Glockenspiel – a cuckoo clock-style statuette show that takes place on the facade of the New Town Hall each day – is the reason many come here.
One of the most photographed buildings in Munich, the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) is most famously home to the mayor of the city and the aforementioned Glockenspiel. Designed in a Neo-Gothic style, the New Town Hall was built around the turn of the 20th Century, and its ornamental touches and spires are striking. For many though, it’s all about the Glockenspiel which puts on a historical show (think jousting knights, dancing coopers, and angels) using figurines every day at 11 AM.
THE RESIDENZ
Munich’s grandest home, The Residenz was the resplendent residence of many of the city’s leaders through the centuries and offers a look back at this era alongside an astounding collection of artwork and effects. The Residenz began life as a small castle but grew to become a sprawling gilded palace, complete with ballrooms and gorgeous gardens. The dynastic families that resided within its walls collected art as status symbols, and their collections are now on full display, with the fresco-laden Antiquarium being a real highlight.
Admission is €7 / £5 / $8
Website: residenz-muenchen.de
ENGLISH GARDEN
Where the city has come to relax and play outside since the 18th Century, the English Garden is Munich’s Central Park. Popular activities here include sunbathing by the Isar River (be aware some areas allow for nude bathing), dog-walking, soccer playing, jogging, and visiting one of the park’s many beer gardens. The park is also home to one odd spectacle you have to see to believe: a permanent man-made wave on the Isar River that allows for surfing.
FRAUENKIRCHE (CHURCH OF OUR LADY)
The most recognizable symbol of Munich, this church, and its two bulb-topped towers soar above the city’s skyline. Full of grandeur yet utterly lacking flamboyance, the Frauenkirche stuns with its simplicity. Inside, you will find the relics of Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and a fabled imprint on the floor called ‘The Devil’s Footprint’. Climbing to the top of the tower is a great way to burn off some Bavarian beer and you’ll have a soaring view of the Alps to the south.
Admission is free.
Website: muenchner-dom.de
DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP
We actually went here on our first trip to Munich, and we found it quite a sobering place.
One of the most popular – and painful – day trips from Munich, Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp established by the nazis after coming in to power. A trip here allows visitors a sobering and informative look back to the terrible fate that awaited the hundreds of thousands who were sent here during the twelve years Dachau operated.
These places are now important for remaining people of what happened and to never allow it to happen again.
Admission is free is it is definitely worth a visit.
Type the below address in to a sat nav or google and you can find it quite easy:
KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau
Alte Römerstraße 75
85221 Dachau
Website: kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de
OLYMPIC PARK
We visited here on our 2nd trip and it did not disappoint.
Originally built when Munich hosted the 1972 Olympics, Olympic Park is a great combo stop with the neighboring BMW World. The main attractions are the park’s giant Bird’s Nest Soccer Stadium built when Munich hosted the 2006 World Cup and the 820 foot-tall Olympic Tower (Olympiaturm).
The view from the Tower is pretty cool because you are up so high and it offers fantastic 360 degree views of the city. If the weather is good, you can see as far as the Alps from the top of Olympic Tower. Photographers love the Park at night when the exterior of the Soccer Stadium glows in a cycle of bright changing colors.
Getting Here: Take the U3 Metro line right to the Park
Hours: Daily All Day, Tower open 9am-midnight
Cost: Park Free, Tower is 4.50 euros or £3.50 / $6. Roof Walk Guided Tour:For 41 Euros you can walk on top of the bird’s nest roof of the stadium, more info. 360 Degree Panoramas: (Tower | Stadium View)
BMW WORLD
If you like your cars then you will love BMW world! We were in awe with futuristic architecture.
The BMW-Welt building, located near the entrance to the museum and connected to it by a small laconic bridge, was opened in the fall of 2007. The futuristic design made in the form of a double cone is not only the largest advertising platform for BMW, but also an amusement park, a sales salon and an exhibition hall where you can see future developments.
Admission is free.
Website: here
ALLIANZ ARENA
The 70,000 person soccer stadium known locally as The UFO is one of the most unique in the World. The coolest feature is the plastic skin-like exterior that is able not only to be lit up, but can actually change between a wide range of colors. Since the stadium opened in 2005 it has been the home to FC Bayern Munich who used to play in the Olympic Stadium.
Visiting Hours: Daily 10am-6pm.
Guided Tours: Guided tours in English are available Daily at 1pm except for days when there are home games or other large events.
USE FREE WALKING TOURS
Walking tours great ways to explore and learn more about the city you’re visiting.
The free walking tours are great for overviews. However, you’ll have to pay if you want a better quality guide or more specialized information (food tours, etc.).
Below is a list of the free walking tours:
Where to eat and drink
You can find a lot of solid food options in Munich — especially if you like meat. Munich is known for a tasty breakfast sausage called Weißwurst and roasted pork (Schweinsbraten). Bratwurst, Leberkässemmeln (sausage made with spiced pork, veal, and lemon) and Brezn (soft pretzels) are all other items you shouldn’t pass up.
Munich is also an international city so you’ll find food option from across the globe. There are also more and more vegetarian and vegan options.
The best food markets are the Viktualienmarkt in the Altstadt and the Elisabethmarkt in Schwabing.
Munich is famous for its beer halls and beer gardens you should check a few out.
- Augustiner Bräustuben — A large beer hall that’s far enough off the tourist track that you will feel a bit like a local.
- Augustiner Keller — Large traditional beer hall and a massive beer garden. Great when the weather is nice.
- Hirschgarten — This is the largest beer garden in the world and it’s been open for over 200 years.
- The Hofbräuhaus — This is easily the most touristy beer hall in Munich but it’s still an institution.
- Max Emanuel Brauerei — A popular student hangout.
- Waldwirtschaft — Do yourself a favor and make the trek into the Munich suburbs to visit this quintessential beer garden.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite online resources and food bloggers:
Where to stay
Where we stayed: NH Collection Munich is in the city centre and we couldn’t fault it! Great breakfast, great rooms, the only downside was parking wasn’t on-site. We enjoyed our stay with NH at Nuremberg that much that we chose it again for Munich!
Other hotels: We always find it best to use booking.com
Getting to and from the airport
Munich’s main airport MUC, called Flughafen München in German, sits 22 miles North of town in the German countryside. It is very easy to reach central Munich by metro.
Airport Metro Line: You can get directly to the City Center main train station in 45 minutes by both the S1 and S8 Metro lines which leave every 10-20 minutes excepts from 1-4am when you’re stuck with a 50€ / £45 / $55 taxi trip.
Airport Metro Pass: The Airport-City Day Passcan be bought from the ticket machines in the Airport and is the best way to save money. For just 21.30€ / £18 / $23 it covers a group up to 5 not only to get to central Munich, but also for all of the inner city buses, trams, and subway lines for the rest of the day. The normal fare from the airport doesn’t cover the central metro and costs 7€ / £5 / $8 a person or 11.90€ / £10 / $13 per person with the Metro add-on.
Book Tours and Purchase Tickets
Travel tips
Group Travel Around Bavaria. There is a special train ticket called the Bayern ticket which gives you unlimited travel throughout Bavaria for groups of 2-5 people. It costs €23.00 / £19 / $25 for 1 passenger* + €5 / £4 / $6 for each additional (up to 5 people total). It’s only good for regional trains but it’s a great deal for groups.
Explore by Bike. Munich is a bike-friendly city so it’s an excellent way to travel around the city. The city has a bike rental program or you can rent one from one of the many rental shops.
Oktoberfest. Visiting during Oktoberfest can be a lot of fun but it can also a headache. Hostels and hotels get booked well over 6+ months in advance and the prices are raised considerably.
Final thoughts
We really hope you enjoyed reading this Munich Travel Blog!
Below you will find our positives and negatives about our trips to Munich.
Positives:
Beer Halls and Beer Gardens. It’s hard to beat enjoying a cold beer and a soft pretzel outside on a warm day. Luckily, Munich has plenty of options for you to enjoy these simple pleasures in life.
Museums. Munich has a number of excellent museums. Into science? Munich has the best science museum in the world.
Public Transport. Getting around Munich is a breeze.
A Beautiful City. Munich is a stunning city. Plain and simple.
Negatives:
Crowds. Munich draws a lot of tourists but that’s to be expected in such an awesome city.
High Prices. Munich has a fairly wealthy population so that makes prices higher than normal.
Nude Sunbathing. Munich’s English Garden park allows nude sunbathing. Most of those nude people are old dudes.
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We loved Munich (both times)! Make sure it’s on your list.
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